It's been a very transformative year for Hellyeah, as the group is receiving some of the best reviews of their career for the 'Blood for Blood' album, but doing so while two of their longtime members -- guitarist Greg Tribbett and bassist Bob Zilla -- are no longer with the band. The announcement that the two members were not part of the new album caught many by surprise.

In a new Loudwire video interview, Hellyeah frontman Chad Gray and guitarist Tom Maxwell discuss exactly how difficult it was to split with Tribbett and Zilla. Maxwell, cutting right to the point of the matter, says in the clip above, "It was a toxic situation that almost broke the band up."

Check out the full interview in which Gray talks about how the weight of the strained relationships played upon his desire to approach the new album and Maxwell discussing how the connection of the remaining members played into the 'Blood for Blood' disc. Take a look at the emotional interview above.

If you haven't already picked up Hellyeah's 'Blood for Blood' album, it's available at iTunes. And you can catch the band on tour this fall with Five Finger Death Punch and Volbeat. See all of Hellyeah's upcoming tour dates here.